Case packer



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Nov. 18, 1947.'

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CASE PACKER Filed April l2, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet 12 MAM, H M.

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' CASE PCKER Filed April 12, .1941

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' CASE PACKER Filed April 12, 1941 16 Sheets-Sheet v16 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATE s PATENT orrica CASE rAcxEn wauw D. Kimball,

simon' to Standard Jackson Heights, N. Y., as-

Knapp Corporation, Portland, Conn., a corporation of New York Application April 12, 1941, Serial No. 388,284

25 Claims. (Cl. 226-14) The articles to be packed in the cases sometimes come to the packing machine from a filling machine and sometimes a labeling machine. In either event they are delivered to the case packer at a high rate, that is, a large number of articles per minute, by a suitable conveyor, or

conveyors.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine which is completely automatic in its operation, that is to say, one which receives the cases in the form of a bundle or bale of collapsed blanks, and the articles in a continuous line, or lines, from suitable conveying means, and which successively squares out and forms the blanks into cases, inserts or packs an appropriate group or charge of the articles in each case and discharges the cases properly closed and sealed ready for delivery to a custemer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this sort which, because of its particular construction, will operate at a high rate, as to the number of cases packed per minute, and which will operate continuously without interruption so long as case blanks and articles to be packed are supplied to the machine.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a case packing machine, capable oi performing the necessary operations of squaring out and forming the shipping cases, packing the articles therein and closing and sealing the cases, which is compact and occupies a small amount of floor space.

The numerous advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description, given by way of example, of a machine for packing a charge of six small, or No. 1, cans in two rows of three cans each in a small fibretoard ca'se. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view (with certain parts omitted or broken away for clearness) of the improved case opening, packing, gluing and sealing ma- 55 cludes indicated by une 2 2 chine of my present invention. It also shows the article conveyors and, in diagrammaticfillustration, part of the case blank squaring out and feeding mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the plane in Figs. 8 and 9 and illustrating particularly the case holders and their Aendless'step-by-step operated carrier including the feeding of a squared-out case blank to the holder at the right hand end o! the carrier;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenv on theplane indicated by line 3`3 in Figs. 8 and 9. It illustrates particularly the supports (in top view) for the cases and their contents from the position preceding the packing vposition until the cases are delivered to the sealing mechanism. This view is broken away in order to show a plan view of part of the control mechanism for the stepby-step carrier-advancing mechanism and the packing mechanism. This includes a case-actuated control (operated by tihe case at the suo `packing position) and an article-actuated control, actuated by the can at the head ofA each row in the packing mechanism. (See also Figs, 9, 11, 12 and 13); l

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section indicated by line 4-4 in Figs. 8 and 9 and illustrating the driving mechanism for the machine and especially the mechanism for imparting the step-by-step movement to theA case holder carrier;

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are enlarged sectional views showing certain details of the carrier step-bystep drive mechanism;

Fig. 8- is an enlarged vertical section as indicated by line 8-8 of Fig. l. It illustrates the folding of certain bottom and top flaps that takes place between the case-receiving position at the right hand end of the carrier and the point where the cases pass onto the front end of the table at the position preceding the packing position. It also shows in vertical section the article conveyors and packing mechanism;

Fig-9 is a partial side elevation with parts broken away and drawn to an enlarged scale looking 1. It shows in side view one of the supports for the cases and the guides for the also the glue applying mechanism and in addition a side-view of part of the control mechanism. l

Fig. 10 shows a detail; y f

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sideelevation looking at the rear side of a portion of the machine in the direction of the arrows l i-II of Fig. l. It ina rear view of the control mechanism in the direction of the arrows 9-9 in Fig.

top outer flaps;

referred to in connection with Figs. 3 and 9;

Fig. 12 is a transverse vertical section which is indicated by broken line i2-I2 of Fig. 11, It shows especially latches, levers and linkages of the control mechanism; Y

Fig- 13 is a diagrammatic perspective View of the control mechanism;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged transverse vertical section looking toward the right, indicated by line ifi-Iii of Fig. 1. It illustrates the packing mechanism and its actuating levers, etc. It also shows the case support and the guides for the top outer naps. It shows further the carrier supporting plates.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged transverse section taken centrally of the packing mechanism and showing this mechanism in its can-'depositing position;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section as indicated on line iG--l of Fig. 1 showing the mechanism for interrupting the application M of adhesive to the central portions of the top and bottom outer naps;

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a filled case showing the positions of the outer flaps during packing and the adhesive applied to these naps;

Figs. 18, 19 and 20 are vertical transverse sections taken as indicated by the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1 and showing the outer top and bottom naps in varying stages of clos- 111g;

Fig. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on line 'ril-2| of Fig. l showing the mechanism for ejecting the 'filled and closed cases from the case-holders of the step-by-step carrier;

Fig. 22 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical section taken on broken line 22-22 of Fig. l (also on line 22-22 of Fig. 21) showing the automatic feeding mechanism for receiving the cases from the ejecting mechanism and feeding them into the entrance end of the sealing mechanism;

Fig. 23 is a horizontal section on line 23--23 of Fig. 22 showing the case-actuated tripping mechanism for the feeding mechanism just referred to Fig, 24 is a perspective view of a illed and sealed case as it is discharged from the machine;

Figs. 25-28, inclusive, are diagrammatic plan views showing the dierent stages of removing the collapsed case blanks one at a time from the magazine and feeding them in squared-out conditions successively to the case holders, as referred to in connection with Fig. 1;

Fig. 29 is a perspective view of the mechanism for separating the individual collapsed case blanks from the supply and opening them to tubular position; and

Figs. 30-32, inclusive, show various stages of this opening process.

Describing the general arrangement of the machine in reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3the supply l of case blanks is in the form of a horizontal block of collapsed blanks standing on their ends and contained in a suitable magazine. The supply conveyors for the two lines of cans are indicated at 2 and 3 (Figs. 1 and 8). vThe cases 4 (Fig. 24) packed and sealed are delivered at the left end (not shown) of the sealing mechanism B. The sealed case 4 is preferably provided with at least two openings 8 to facilitate the handling and opening of the case, and also, to allow circulation of cooling air over the surfaces of the cans therein in order that the case while still sealed may be placed in a. refrigerator or ice box for cooling.

, These openings may be formed in various ways,

li. but as indicated they are formed by V-shaped notches 'l (Fig. 32) in the portions of the blank which form the top flap extensions which, when closed, form the top end of the case.

The case holders 8, twelve in number, are shown in top view in Fig. 2 assembled on the carrier indicated generally by numeral ii. Carrier 9 cornprises an endless chain carried upon two large sprockets i0 and li, and two spaced horizontal oblong supporting and guiding plates l2 and i3 (Figs. 2 and 12). Each of the case holders ii has a body member I4 secured to the endless chain, and, as the chain moves, these body members move in an oblong path sliding along horizontal guideways formed by the opposite edges of anges i5 and i6 which extend around the peripheries of plates i2 and i3 (see Fig. 12).

The oblong path outlined by the peripheries of the plates i2 and i3 has two parallel sides connected by semicircular end portions which are concentric with the centers of sprockets lo and il. The case holders 8 are arranged in closely spaced relation along the sides of the oblong path of the carrier but separate from one another as they successively pass around each of the rounded ends of the oblong path. The carrier 9 and case holders il are advanced in the direction of the arrows in a step-by-step movement by means of a ratchet drive mechanism at the lower end of Ivertical shaft i6 (Figs. 11 and 4) for sprocket Il which is the driving sprocket.

At each operation of this ratchet drive, or step advancing mechanism, the' case holder carrier 9 is advanced a distance equal to the distance between centers of adjacent case holders 8 so that each time the carrier comes to rest in its step-by-step advancement, the case holders 8 are in the position indicated in the several figures of the drawings but the case holders have each been moved forward one position. Inasmuch as there are twelve case holders il, there are twelve case holder positions. The first position A where the successive case holders 8 receive squared out case blanks is at the right hand end of the apparatus as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9. As the cases are moved successively through the subsequent positions up to the ninth position I on the rear side of the machine where the filled and closed cases are ejected and fed to the sealing mechanism Ei, the desired operations are performed upon the cases.

Describing the general operation of the ma- 'chine, the case blank squaring-out mechanism,

shown diagrammatically at the right hand end of Figs. 1 and 2, places a case blank squared out to upright tubular form in a pocket, or case holder, 8 each time a case holder arrives at position A. By the time the case arrives at position C, the packing position, it is ready to receive a charge of cans. and if a complete charge of cans` has been received in the packing mechanism from conveyors 2 and 8, the packing mechanism operates to charge the cans vertically downward into the case. Towards the end of the inserting stroke of the packing mechanism, the step control member of the ratchet drive mechanism is actuated and the carrier 9 is advanced one step. If this movement brings asecond case to packing position C, and a second charge of cans has been received in the packing mechanism from conveyors 2 and 3, the operation is repeated, and continues to be repeated so long as completely squared-out cases are successively fed to position C, and complete charges ,of cans are Apromptly received in the packing mechanism.

However, should a complete charge not be received in the packing mechanism, due to failure of the supply of cans on conveyors 2 and 3, or for some other reason, the packing mechanism will be prevented from operating, and, if there is a completely-squared-out case at position C. the carrier 9 will remain stationary. Also should a pocket, or case holder, 8 arrive at position C empty, or without having the case blank therein completely squared out, due to an interruption in the supply I of case blanks, or to failure of the squaring-out mechanism properly to operate, or for some other cause, carrier 3 will continue to advance step-by-step at each operation of the ratchet drive mechanism until a l completely squared-out case arrives at position C, at which time the carrier will stop. If there is now a complete charge of cans in the packing mechanism,

the packing mechanism will operate and place the charge in the case, the operation of the packing mechanism then causing the ratchet drive mechanism to advance the carrier one step, as before.

The case holders 8 are adapted to receive and hold the case blanks squared out to tubular form as illustrated in Fig. 32 and in upright position with the flap extensions which are to form the top and bottom ends projecting vertically in line with the sides of the case. To maintain the sides of the case square, each of the case holders 8 vis Aprovided with a U-shaped form Il having its open end directed outwardly so as to permit the case blank to be fed in horizontally and the case to be ejected horizontally. Forms I1 correspond approximately to the dimensions of the case, and, to retain the case within this form, two pairs of fingers IB carried by arms I9 are provided. Each pair of arms I9 is fixed to a shaft 20 which is pivoted in the body I4 of the case holder in order that lingers I8 may -be spread apart or opened to receive the squared out case blank at the right hand end of the machine and again at the electing position to permit the filled case to be removed from the case holder.

The two pairs of arms I9 are biased towards one another by means of a helical spring 2| and' in order to open them for the purpose of receiving and ejecting the case, each of shafts 20 is providedat one end with a iinger 22. The inner ends of these fingers overlap one another so as to be engaged by a common actuating lever 23 at the receiving position at the right hand end of the machine and again at the electing position in back of the machine by a second actuating member M (Figs. 2 andh 1).

.actuating member 23 is illustrated in Fig. 8 and is in the form of a bell crank lever pivoted at 2% and actuated by a cam 26 on the end of a cam shaft 2l'. Actuating member 24 at the ejecting position is illustrated in Fig. 21 and is fixed to the end of a horizontally slidable rod 2d which is shifted by Ibell crank lever 29 actuated by a cam 30 on cam shaft 2l. Cam shaft 2l rotates continuously making one revolution for each advance of the case holders 8 so that the actuating members 23 and 24 operate to open or release the case holders as they reach successively the receiving position and the ejecting position.

The collapsed or flattened case blanks I stand endwise in mass formation on a horizontal platform tl. An individual'blank, after being separated and opened up into tubular form by mechanism illustrated in Figs. 25-29, inclusive, to be later described, is swept by means of an oscillating arm 32 into the case holder 8 which is at the receiving position A as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the case passing between a pair of vertical 'guides 33. Arm 32 is oscillated in timed relation to the stepby-step advance of carrier 9 so as to deliver a case blank to each case holder as it arrives at the receiving position A. Immediately after the case is received in tubular vertical squared out condition between the sides of form I1. the fingers I8 close over the outer corners of the case and the forward pair of arms I9 engage the front side of the case and force the opposite or rear side against the rear projecting wall of form I1. .In this way regardless of variation in the length of the cases the location of the cases in the holders is made uniform so that the cases will register accurately with the packing mechanism when they reach it.

Platform `3l is placed at the proper elevation to cause the cases to be centered vertically, as shown in Fig. 8, with respect to the case holders 8. In order to support the cases during the operations of packing and folding the top iiaps an elongated table 34 is arranged along the front side of the machine. this table being wider than the cases so as to support the side or outer bottom flaps in horizontally extended position. During this time the side or outer top flaps are to be held in a similar horizontally extended position and for this purpose two pairs of closely spaced guide plates 35 and 36 are provided.

Both the bottom and top side aps are folded or bent outwardly to this horizontal position during the movement of the case holder from the receiving station A to position B immediately preceding the packing station C. The bottom' side aps are folded outwardly by a U-shaped folding rod 31, the legs of which engage the respective bottom flaps. The ends of the legs of this rod are secured to the downwardly bent forward end portions 38 of table 34. The top side flaps are folded out by suitably curved folding rods 39 and 40. These are secured respectively to the upwardly bent forward ends of the upper guides 3E and 3S.

The end top flaps, 4I and '42, of the cases are left projecting upwardly as may be seen in Fig. 9 until the cases pass the packing position C. The end bottom flaps, however, are folded to closed position to receive the contents of the case. This folding is doneras the case passes onto the end of table 34 at position B. The forward end flap is bent backwardly and folded closed by two downwardly bent projections 43 at the end of table 34 while the rear end flap is folded by a rotary folder 44 (Fig. 8) which rotates continuously and makes one revolution for each station or step advance of the case carrier 9.

On the next advance of carrier 9, the case moves from position B to packing position C, no change in the position of the flaps taking place, and the case sliding along the surface of table 34. At position C the case is in vertical alinement with the funnel member 45 of the packing mechanism.

A charge of cans is segregated by the packing To prevent the end top aps 4| and 42 from being damaged by the downward movement of the packing mechanism they are bent outwardly as shown in Fig. 8. Rear flap 42 is bent backward slightly by a stationary nger or plate 42s. which the upper portion of the flap engages just before the case comes to rest at position C. The front flap 4i is bent forward to the dotted position of Fig. 8 by the swinging of an arm die which is pivoted at Mb to the top of upper guide and frame plate l2. This arm is actuated by a link (ilo connected to operating mechanism which will be described later.

On the next step advance of carrier S the case under consideration advances to position D.- At

this position no operation is performed on the case except that of bending the forward top flap si backward towards closed position as indicated in Fig. 1G. This is done by means of an oscillating arm 46 (Figs. 9, 10 and 1) and occurs on the back or upward stroke of arm (i8. On its downward stroke this arm folds to completely closed posi tion the rear end top flap i2 of the case at gluing station E. Arm fit is actuated in timed relation to the 'movement of the carrier so as to tuck flap 62 under the upwardly curved front end of a flap holder rod lll. Rod l? holds the two end or inner top aps closed during the progress of the cases through the gluing station E to station F and station G, during which time the side or outer top flaps, after having adhesive applied to them at the station E, are folded from their outwardly extended horizontal position to closed position over the inner naps.

Oscillating arm i5 is adiustably pivoted at 68 to a short horizontal shaft @i9 (Fig. 1) carried in a bracket E0. On the inner end of this shaft there is a short arm El (Fig. 21) carrying a roller 52 which works on a face cam E33 on camshaft 2. The roller is biased against the vertical surface of the cam by means of a helical spring dii.

The next step advance of carrier 9 moves the case from position D to position E where the case is ,iust entering between upper and lower pairs of glue rolls 55 and 5S. When the case passes to the glue rolls the flaps are in the position shown in Fig. 17, the inner or end flaps at both top and bottom being closed and the side or outer aps at both'top and bottom being outwardly extended. The gluing mechanism applies adhesive to the flaps at the areas 51 indicated in Fig. 17, that is to say, only at the areas which are in contact with the inner flaps after the outer flaps have been closed.

Position E has been referred to as the gluing position. More accurately it is the commencement of the gluing operation, this operation taking place during the next advance of the carrier or while the case moves from position E to position F.

During the following step movement of the carrier, taking the case from position F to position G, the side flaps at the bottom and the side flaps at the top are folded to closed position against the inner flaps. While the cases pass between the glue rollers they are supported by a plate 58. During the closing of the side naps they are supported first on a horizontally d them -at the end of their folding movement as they are coming into contact with the inner aps.

The folding of these side bottom flaps is accomplished by means of two stationary curved rods 63 and S4. Rod 63 is secured to the end of tongue 6i which is bent downwardly in the direction of this rod. Rod B4 is similarly secured on the end of tongue 62. The progress of the folding of-the side bottom aps is illustrated in Figs. 18, 19 and 20, these flaps being folded from the dotted position shown in Fig. 18 in the direction of the dotted arrows. The tongue 59 is enough narrower than the bottom of the cases so that even though the cases are commencing to move on a curve at the position F (Fig. 1) the bottom side naps as shown in the dotted lines in this figure are permitted to hang downwardly under their own weightI in a position to be engaged by the curved outer ends of the folder rods S3 and 83.

These swing the flaps downwardly through the vertical position shown in section in Fig. 18 and thence upwardly towards the under surface of tongue 5S as shown in Fig. 19. The two side flaps pass successively to closed position in contact with the inner bottom aps. The outer flap at the outside edge of the case is closed first, as may be seen in Fig. 3, and then the nap at the inside edge of the case, as may be seen in this figure and also in Fig. 20.

As is shown in Fig. 3, the ends of tongues Si and 62` are so arranged relative to one another that the case is in stable equilibrium at all times. Before the case reaches position G it is supported by all three of the tongues. At position G the case is just past the tip end of tongue 53 and is supported along the outside by tongue 6l and prevented from tilting by the support it receives from tongue 52.

During the closing of the bottom flaps, somewhat similar closing operations are being performed upon the top flaps, To accomplish this a curved horizontal plate 65 (Fig. l) similar in shape and extent to plate G is provided and has tongue portions 85 and 6l' bent upwardly at its ends and supporting folding rods 68 and 69. The rod i7 for holding down the inner top flaps is curved horizontally to follow the center of tongue 59 and terminates at a distance from tongues 66 and 61 which is less than the length of the cases so that the side top flaps are folded to closed position and pass underneath the tongues G6 and 61 at the front end of the case while the inner flap at the rear end is still being held down by rod 41.

The progress ofthe folding of the top side flaps is indicated in the upper portions of Figs. 18, 19 and 20. Tongues 66 and 61 which complete the closing of the top side fiapsare of substantially equal length and these top flaps are closed simultaneously instead of successively, as is the case with the bottom side flaps.

During the next two successive step movements of carrier 9 a case advances from position G to position H and then to the ejecting position I. During this time the pressure of the curved plate 65 and rollers 'I0 on the top aps and the pressure curved tongue 59, extending'A from plate 58, and,

subsequently, on a horizontally curved plate 60 which has two tongue portions 6I and B2 of unequal length. Tongue 59 and plate Bil-are in the same horizontal plane and tongue 59 overlaps but is slightly spaced from tongue 6| and spaced to a greater extent from tongue 62 for the purpose of permitting the side flaps to pass between of the lower plate 60 on the bottom naps maintains the inner and outer aps at both the bottom and top of the cases in sealing engagement with one another. At position I the cases are removed from the case holders 8 in a transverse lateral movement in the direction of the arrow shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by ejecting mechanism which will be described later. After the cases 

